This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. ER stress plays an important role in the progression of liver disease in subjects with HCV infection. Specific micro-RNAs are associated with both development steatosis, a common feature of HCV infection, and response to anti-viral therapy for HCV. Micro-RNAs that inhibit the adaptive response to ER stress are associated with disease progression to bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis in HCV infected individuals. The specific aim is to define the pattern of ER stress activation and the UPR in subjects with varying stages of HCV.